


Bright Lights, Big City

by ktsushade



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Competition, Confessions, Denial of Feelings, Developing Relationships, F/F, Love Triangles, New York City, Secret Relationship, Tourism, everything can be answered with tsurumaki
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 16:39:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19380631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ktsushade/pseuds/ktsushade
Summary: A sudden invitation to perform at the busiest city in the world has the GBP in panic mode. But they'll take it on the same as always, and some have plans to take advantage of the situation for something more... personal.





	1. Aim for the Ceiling

It was rather fortunate to have Toyama Kasumi around, for she basically held the weight of five bands on her shoulders and still managed to knock the socks off of crowds whether small or large. Despite the desire to win every competition, nobody of the Girls Band Party could deny Kasumi had a certain something within her that they just couldn’t seem to replicate themselves.  


They certainly weren’t able to receive the praise and thunderous applause as their final chords died out. But as the competition came to an end and Kasumi jumped at the reception of Poppin’Party’s newest single, not even Yukina or Ran could feel bitter about their guaranteed defeat.  


Especially not when after the show was over, they were approached by a male duo in black suits, surprisingly not related to the Tsurumaki family and asked if they would travel internationally for a much larger audience in New York City.  


“A what?!” Arisa screamed, pushing the star-dazed Kasumi out of the way. Despite being their leader she wasn’t exactly suited to actually  _ lead _ .  


One of the men cleared his throat and brought out a brochure, covered in English words they could barely read but the girl with a guitar on the front was as clear as it could be.  


“You see we’ve been in desperate need of all-girl bands and have been searching all over the country for talent like yours. High Schoolers don’t have much passion for instruments nowadays and we really could use some of that aura you possess.”

“I understand, but why us in particular?” Ran asked, reaching for the pamphlet. As expected, it was full of English paragraphs she could just barely understand. Shaking her head, she handed it over to Aya who began analyzing it with Eve, though it seemed even she was having a hard time understanding it. “We’re just a group of Japanese kids who can barely say “I want cake” in English-”

“I want cake~ It’s not that hard, Ran~” Moca sang from over her shoulder. Ignoring her, Ran stared straight into black sunglasses with the harshest of glares that made him shudder.

“Mitake-san is right,” Yukina added, crossing her arms. The two men focused their attention on the singer with a small gulp. While Ran and Yukina had their rivalry, when joining forces it was like willingly throwing oneself into the lion’s den. “Performing for an event is one thing, but an entirely different matter to ask us to travel internationally for it. What exactly do we get from this?”

It seemed the interrogation wasn’t on their agenda, as the two began to step away to form their own meeting about what to do when faced with twenty-five different stares. Ran and Yukina stood at the forefront, acting as the representatives. Behind them, Aya let out a deep breath and Kasumi continued her own stargazing on the ceiling, completely out of it.  


Arisa tapped her foot against the floor knowing full well the sound would be loud enough to express her impatience. The longer she stood in her sweat-soaked costume the longer it would take to get rid of the smell. She could see their shoulders and heads twitch the faster her tapping became, until eventually Saaya had to place a hand on her shoulder with a sisterly smile. One that was a little  _ too _ sisterly.  


“What’s this mood all about? Doesn’t this sound like fun?!”

_ Oh god.  
_

That single collective thought in 21 minds all at once could only ever happen for one reason. Despite half of the group not even attending the same school, the rumors of her existence likely ran throughout the entire city, if not the prefecture - and maybe even the whole country-

Tsurumaki Kokoro, bouncy and bright whether rain or shine, jumped to the front of the group. Her platinum blonde hair swished every which way, and her million watt smile that never dimmed brought some light to the room that otherwise felt like it would develop into a boxing ring. Squished between Yukina and Ran’s dark forms, she was like that final light of hope coming to save them.  


“Doesn’t it?! Going overseas is so fun! And we’ll be able to make so many people smile! People who we otherwise wouldn’t be able to meet!” Her chipper voice and bouncy poses, full of life despite having just performed their most upbeat songs, could only serve to make the other bands feel that much more exhausted. Her band, however, looked up at her (at least, Kaoru and Hagumi did) like she was the most important person in the world, and cheered when she looked to them for support.  


Misaki and Kanon tried their best to hide among the crowd, though with Michelle’s giant costume they found it was a little harder to do.  


“A-ah! Yes, indeed!” one of the men in suits yelled, waving the pamphlet they couldn’t read in the air. “Imagine the popularity you could gain with the masses who love J-pop overseas!”

“We play rock musi-”

“And anime! Lots of people overseas love anime, right?!”

“But we only cove-”

Misaki’s attempts were overshadowed by bellowing and she gave up, shaking her head within her costume. The heat was beginning to build up inside, and she was ready to either pass out or join Kasumi on the couch for a breather. Kanon’s look of sympathy eased her irritation - if just a little bit.

“Then how will we get there? Will our accommodations be provided, or is that up to us?” It was now Hikawa Sayo’s turn to question - with her arms crossed and harsh stare, they were back to square one. “Surely high school girls on a part-time wage can’t afford such a trip.”

_ It’ll never end, _ Misaki thought.

“Ah.. a-accommodations… th-that’ll be…”  


At this point the men before them were visibly shaking, even Maya could see it without her glasses. Until, at least, Kokoro stood on the table so she got a good look at everyone’s apprehensive face. Of course, the only ones with stars in their eyes were Kaoru, Hagumi and Kasumi.  


Blinking, the starry-eyed girl suddenly stood, pointing a finger at Kokoro with the loudest screech of realization she could possibly muster.

“You’re right! Kokoro-chan, you’re totally right!”

She joined her on the table, ignoring how it creaked and shuddered under their combined weight. “This is perfect! A trip to  _ New York _ , all of us together! Performing in front of hundre- no,  _ thousands _ of new faces and people we’ll never be able to speak to! But our music can!”

Arisa shook her head. “Oh god, here she goes…”

“Music doesn’t  _ need _ language or words to connect people! It’s through  _ feeling _ , isn’t it?! Isn’t it how we can get our feelings across in live houses to strangers?”

Kokoro nodded, jumping in place. The table again let out a cry for help but the girls remained glued where they stood. “Mhm! Hello, Happy World! is about making the whole world smile! Isn’t there no point if we can’t actually do that? Right, Michelle?”

“Ah, please don’t involve me in this speech~” Misaki casually replied, thankful for the fact her mask hid her luminescent face. Kokoro ignored her (despite asking) and continued to jump up and down with Kasumi, both glad to find someone who could see eye to eye.  


“Even if that is the case the problem lies in us getting there,” Sayo responded, unnerved by the rowdy actions of the two girls but still holding her ground. “I know Hina and I will not ask our parents to pay for such an expensive event.”

“Awww, why not?!” came Hina’s voice. Sayo ignored her.  


Yukina stayed quiet, not wanting to mention how Sayo was practically screaming that she wanted to go. Lisa’s cat-like smile, bigger than ever, showed she too was thinking the same thing. She was surprised Ako wasn’t screaming about the situation, but a quick glance showed her clinging to Tomoe’s arm with a big pout on her face.  


She let out a deep sigh again, and turned to the shaky men in suits who seemed to be calmed down, if at least attempting it by dabbing their foreheads. “If we were to agree, again, accommodations?”

Kokoro stopped her jumping to hold her hand up. “It’s okay! Leave it to me!”

Misaki was about to intervene when a woman in a suit, one who regularly helped her in and out of her costume, suddenly appeared behind the men with a large packet.  


“Miss, your tickets and hotel accommodations for your stay,” she mumbled, though loud enough for everyone to hear. Her band, used to these kinds of developments, could only casually watch as Kokoro listened to more whispers, eventually shaking her head.  


“Hmm… no, it’s okay! I think we’ll be okay with walking.”

“Is this okay?!” Aya, shuddering, asked Misaki. With a hum, she nodded, Michelle’s head bobbing back and forth.  


“Just something you gotta get used to.”

Kasumi threw her hands into the air just as the table finally collapsed on itself, blanketing her in a burst of splinters and dust, while Kokoro was caught by Michelle’s arm, protecting her and the paperwork. The rest of the room erupted into chaos, leading to the men throwing the brochure and a pile of paperwork meant to be signed on one of the makeup tables before running out of the dressing room in a whirlwind of shrieks.  


Coughing out the dirt and pieces of wood that caught in her mouth, Kasumi let out a loud whooping sound, letting herself be carried by Tae and Arisa to the sofa again.  


“We’re going to New York!”

“Oh god, we’re going to New York…”

* * *

Arisa’s mantra continued on the way home, while she changed and took a bath, until she finally fell asleep mumbling the words. Now, surrounded by the rest of Poppin’Party in her basement and staring at the flight information on the table, the stress she accumulated over the previous night just spilled out of her.

“How in the world are we going to do this?! Decided at the last minute, that we’ll perform? In America! In New York!” she slammed down a palm on the papers, ignoring how they fluttered to the corner of the coffee table and threatened to slide onto the floor. Rimi jumped but remained quiet, possibly still trying to process what was going on.  


“I mean, come on! We’re just high schoolers for gods’ sake! We’re not even that popular in Japan where people can _ understand _ what we’re singing!”

“I understand how you feel, but… it is kind of exciting, isn’t it?” Tae said, leaning forward to fix the stack of papers. She gave Arisa a reassuring smile, one that cooled her boiling blood. “Like Kasumi said, music is more about what you feel when you listen to it rather than what you’re listening to.”

Kasumi hummed through a mouthful of snacks. “We’a weally kunna ‘av un, Ahrisha!”

“Hm? What was that? I can’t hear you over that  _ mouthful you’re trying to speak around _ .”

Hurriedly forcing everything in her mouth down her throat, Kasumi took a sip of tea before repeating, “I said we’re gonna have fun, Arisa! You should just look forward to it!”

Arisa’s tongue was ready to lash out when Saaya put a hand on her shoulder, sympathetic smile and all, but the gleam in her eyes was definitely reminiscent of what they had seen in Kokoro’s the moment she stood on that table. “I get where you’re coming from, Arisa, really. I mean, we’re basically just a regular garage band - playing whatever we come up with.”

She tapped the papers that held all the information. They were supposed to leave in a week - great timing, Arisa thought. Saaya continued. “But wouldn’t this be a huge opportunity for all of us? I mean, they weren’t wrong - how many girls at school are remotely interested in playing an instrument anymore?”

The grunt that bubbled in Arisa’s throat went unnoticed and she crossed her arms even tighter, falling back into the couch with a huff. Saaya had a point. Sure, the other students were interested and curious about their band - but that was the extent of it, as far as they knew. They didn’t really know anyone else who played instruments or were in a band other than the four they collaborated with.  


Still, going all the way to America for it? She couldn’t utter a single sentence in English! Why couldn’t they just go somewhere within their comfort zone?

“I think it’ll be fun…” Rimi’s voice, shy and quiet while the girls mused, broke the silence. “It’s not like we’re going alone, and I think we should try and let all kinds of people hear our music…”

“Rimi-rin…!” Kasumi sniffled and reached over to envelop her in a tight hug, both of them rocking back and forth before the smaller girl could no longer breathe. “Ah! We’ve got to come up with a new song to perform! Maybe three?!”

“Three is pushing it… we’ve only got a week after all.” Arisa was thankful Saaya was so used to dealing with children. “Let’s go for one and see how far we can go first, okay?”

“There’s so much to do! Come on, let’s start practicing!”

Arisa suppressed a groan, but still got up along with the others, following their energetic leader to their instruments.

* * *

“Ahh, you girls don’t have practice today!”

Sitting at the counter of the Hazawa Cafe, the members of Afterglow looked up from their mugs to see the brightly smiling father of Tsugumi. Tomoe waved and Ran nodded, taking a moment to sip her drink.  


“Yo! No practice today, we’re a little beat from last night. Tsugu’s energetic as ever though!” their drummer nodded her head over to the only waitress in the cafe, happily writing down a complicated coffee order - if the furrow of her eyebrows were any indication.  


Tsugumi’s father hummed, taking a moment to lean against the counter as he watched her pace around the cafe, making sure everyone had what they needed. “That girl was running around her room all last night too. I do worry for her.”

“We’ll make sure she doesn’t run out of her Tsugurific energy~” Moca said, snatching one of the snacks on Ran’s plate. “Since Tsugu doesn’t know how to take care of herself, you know?”

“Moca.”

Despite the slightly rude comment, Tsugumi’s father was used to Moca’s way of speaking. She meant no harm most of the time, she was simply the type to really like teasing people.  


“Ahh it’s okay Ran-chan,” he said, leaning over to pour her some more coffee. “Do you have any idea why she might have been up all night though? Are you guys making a new song?”

This time it was Himari, who had been staring at her mug in silence for a while, to look up at him. “Ah! No, you see…” she suddenly fumbled with her words and began playing with her hands, confidence deflating by the second. They had all agreed to come to the cafe to ask Tsugumi’s father directly about letting her travel overseas - they were generally very nice and understanding parents after all. They let Tsugumi hang out with  _ them  _ of all people, so surely there wouldn’t be an issue, right?

“There’s a competition~ Or more like, a battle of the ba~nds,” Moca said through the crumbs of her cream puff.  


_ Not really, but let’s go with that _ , Ran thought with a defeated sigh. Eve had tried to give them details that were listed in the pamphlet given she was the only one with a moderate handle in English, but they could only understand half of what she was saying through the deep lore of Bushido being thrown in. The most they knew was that it was indeed a competition and there would be rewards, but they didn’t know what just yet.  


“Yeah!” Tomoe said, taking the reign. “But, well… it… requires travelling.”

“Ah!” Tsugumi’s father said, wiping down the cups Himari and Moca gave him. “Is it that famous one, the uh… Budoukan?”

_ Oh how we wish _ .

“N-no, it’s… well-”

“New York City~” Moca plainly said.

The jingle of the door opening filled the silence that ensued, while the sunlight pouring in through the windows reflected off the man’s glasses, making it hard to see whether he was growing angry or not. Still, Afterglow was committed to going. If it meant kidnapping Tsugu and taking her across the world, they would find a way to do it.

“Ah. I see…” he mumbled, taking a step back, then another, and another, until he slipped his hand into his pocket to retrieve his wallet. He stared at the contents before he let out a shaky breath, laying both hands flat on the counter.  


_ “I’ll have to sell the cafe-” _

“Okay, no.” Himari wanted to laugh but kept her composure, especially when it seemed they just hit the jackpot. “The flight and hotel are covered, all we need is for you to sign this!”

“Covered?! Do I have to pay you back?! How did you even get that kind of money - honey I think we need to find Tsugumi’s college fund!”

Ran chased after him as he ran to find his wife, while Himari shrugged and brought out the pen she had hidden in her pocket.  


“Himari! What are you doing?!” Tomoe whispered, leaning closer to see her carefully write out the man’s name at the bottom of the page. “If you get caught…”

“What? He didn’t say  _ no _ !”

Moca leaned closer as well and nodded, “Nice work Hii-chan~ It’s almost like the real thing.”

She giggled and held up her work, the kanji and fancy scribble of a signature barely similar to the usual illegible chicken scratch she kept hidden in her notebooks. Himari nodded at her work and stuffed the sheet into her bag, hoping to keep it out of sight until they left. Tomoe could only shake her head and bury her face into her hands, already cooking up the worst scenarios in her head.  


“Now, let’s not mention this again and hope they forget it’s a thing, okay?”

“Roger, Hii-chan~”

Again, the jingle of the door opening caught their attention, but this time Tsugumi’s “welcome” was quieter, much shyer than usual. Moca and Himari, too nosy for their own good, swiveled their chairs around completely to see who came in when they were met with unfriendly green eyes.  


“Ah~ It’s Sayo-san~”

Moca raised a hand and lightly waved at the teal-haired girl quietly striking conversation with their keyboardist. They heard from Tsugumi that she would come on occasion, but they were never actually present to see it. Now, Himari could only watch with the sharpest of eyes as Tsugumi’s fingers played with the ends of her hair and how she hid parts of her face with her tray, shrinking into herself while Sayo’s features, normally very rigid and stiff, softened. The smile on her face was surely the biggest difference.  


_ Oho~ I see, I see! _

“It’s like when Moca-chan sees Ran~” Moca said, kicking her feet with a sly smirk. “Our Tsugu is growing up.”

“Not that I mind it being Sayo-san, but  _ how _ ?” Himari wrapped her fingers around her mug, still keeping an eye on how Sayo’s hand just barely reached for Tsugumi’s tray as if wanting to pull it away from her face only to stall and pull her hand back. It was like watching a scene straight out of a romance film. “Agh! You were on the right track!”

Tomoe shrugged, “Tsugu just being herself I guess. Let’s not forget how we all had a crush on her at some point. If Ran did, Sayo-san isn’t far off.”

“Moca-chan has good taste~”

Ran and Tsugumi’s dad appeared then, his noticeably messy collar and glasses a result of… what they hoped wasn’t too violent of a conversation. He gathered the orders Tsugumi had been piling up and tried his best to shrink behind the counter and continue his normal duties. Still, the scrutinizing gazes of each Afterglow member was far too heavy a weight he could have sworn his balance was going to be thrown off.  


Coffee was poured, sugar was stirred and creams were blended, but he couldn’t help looking up to find the eyes of Tomoe and Ran piercing his soul.

“He said it’s fine, we just have to make sure Tsugu is okay,” Ran calmly said, finishing off her coffee. Of course, the plate she left behind was empty, but Moca was too busy watching the romantic scene playing out near the front to hide her chewing.  


Tomoe chuckled. “But I guess she’ll be fine even without us.”

Now at a table where Sayo was calmly looking over the familiar menu, Tsugumi couldn’t help but feel her heart was pumping far too strongly, the sound was beginning to overwhelm her hearing.

_ Calm down, even if she does look great today! Wait, isn’t that every time you see her though? Agh, focus, Tsugumi! _

“I hear from the peanut gallery that you’ll be attending the competition,” Sayo said, calmly scanning the selection of new tea. Tsugumi jumped and blushed, wanting to quickly stuff her father and Afterglow underneath the biggest rug she could find. They were always far louder than they thought they were!

“Ah, yeah! I guess so… aha. What about you? Has Roselia decided?”

“Of course, we’ll also be going. After seeing Poppin’Party’s performance we realize there’s something we’re missing when it comes to those listening to our music. Minato-san has dedicated herself to finding what it is.”

Such a mature answer. “I hope it comes to her soon. I’m nervous, if only because I was never good at English…” Tsugumi hid behind her tray, embarrassment showing on her face as memories of trying to read passage after passage in class ended in disaster every time. “I hope I don’t starve…!”

“If it’s that, Hina and I are willing to help you. Don’t hesitate to ask us for help.”

Tsugumi could have fainted from that dazzling smile.

_ Two weeks in New York with Sayo-san…! Maybe I can finally c-con… no, no! This is supposed to be serious! _

On the surface, Tsugumi gave an honest smile and nodded, ignoring the chaos that was her thoughts.  


“Good luck with everything!”

* * *

The rest of the week was a blur to everyone. In the midst of packing and alerting the school admins of the situation (as well as the Pastel*Palettes’ agency and some Tsurumaki meddling) to get permission, they were all busy with new songs, practicing their classics and even having English lessons after school to make sure they could order at the simplest of places without issue.  


Lisa sighed and dropped her notebook over her face, leaning further into Sayo’s mattress while the rest of Roselia were diligently following the video playing on her laptop. Eventually, Rinko reached over to shyly press the spacebar to pause it, and all four pairs of eyes were on her.  


“Ah.”

“Are you okay?” Yukina asked, clearly annoyed at the interruption. Lisa was tempted to simply wave off her frustrations, but considering it was nearing midnight, they were supposed to gather at Kokoro’s house in the morning and she couldn’t get the phrase “turn right” out of her head, it was hard to pretend she wasn’t exhausted and slowly going crazy.  


Scanning the faces of the other Roselia members, each displaying their unique version of concern, Lisa ended up letting out a deep sigh that turned into a yawn in the middle. “I think we should get some rest, yeah?” she said. Yukina and Sayo looked confused, far too into their studies that it was almost cute. Almost.  


“Yeah, I am getting a little tired. Soon we’ll be high in the sky, floating across... the plains of the underworld and.. uh, becoming descended angels of the night...!”

Ako, while still energetic enough to go on her speeches, began to drift off against Rinko’s shoulder. “Rinrin let me use your... pillows.”

“M-my what? Ako-chan…” looking to the others for help, Rinko’s red face turned scarlet the longer Ako’s head nuzzled into her chest to find that comfortable spot. “U-uhm-!”

Lisa wanted to laugh, especially when she noticed Rinko slowly threading her fingers through Ako’s pigtails. “We really should get going. I’ve gotta finish packing!” she shouted, slapping her notebook shut. Yukina slowly stood as well, and the stumble in her step couldn’t go unnoticed, especially to Lisa, who simply watched her pack up with a small grin.

“I shall call Tomoe-san,” Sayo said, turning her head away from the way Ako continued to press herself further into Rinko’s chest. The pianist could only let out small gasps of surprise every time, making the situation a little awkward. “Excuse me.”

“Alright, we’ll see you tomorrow! New york!” Lisa said, pumping her fist into the air. Sayo led them to the door where they saw Hina, in full pajama glory, sticking her head out of the door.  


“Ahaha! You still mess up after all this time!”

“S-stop that, Hina-chan! Next time for sure, I promise!”

They had been in Sayo’s room for majority of the evening, yet they hadn’t even noticed Hina was home, and had a guest at that. Lisa could see the splotch of pink over Hina’s shoulders and didn’t need to pry further to know who it was.  


Maruyama Aya, vocalist of Pastel*Palettes and constant visitor to the Hikawa apartment when Hina was bored. While Sayo was on great terms with Aya and found her to be a good friend of her sister’s, she often stayed late after practice to avoid bumping into the two - she had expressed as much one evening after randomly inviting Roselia out to eat despite practice running later than usual.  


“Careful on your way home! And come over in the morning, we’ll leave together!” Hina shouted, Aya waving at her from the stairwell. There was a faint “okay~” before the girl disappeared, and when it was clear she was gone, Hina’s shoulders slumped and she finally turned to the two waiting for her to move from the door. The smile that seemed to fall went right back up upon seeing Sayo.

“Hina, you’re in the way.”

“Sorry Onee-chan! Are you guys leaving?” she asked, very interested in the notebooks the two were holding. “Were you studying?”

Yukina nodded. “Something like that, but we really need to get going.”

“Sure! Hey, Onee-chan! Can you help me pack my stuff?”

Sayo raised an eyebrow, but seeing as the night wasn’t getting any longer, Lisa and Yukina bid them goodbye before they were somehow dragged into being Sayo’s salvation. Their relationship wasn’t as cold and awkward as it used to be, but Sayo was clearly still not ready to pretend they were like normal sisters.

The door shut behind them, but they could still hear footsteps as Hina dragged Sayo through their apartment. Lisa wondered what their neighbors thought about the commotion. “Ahh, I can’t wait to get some rest! Have you looked up anything you wanna do when we get there, Yukina?”

“Aside from practicing, no. It’s not a vacation, Lisa.”

The chilly night air seemed to get colder with those words, but Lisa didn’t dare shudder or rub her arms. Still, she remembered one detail. “But the competition isn’t until the very end of the whole trip! That’s two whole weeks we’ve got free!” she reasoned, placing a hand on Yukina’s sleeve. “You can’t tell me you haven’t thought of a single thing. Not even the Statue of Liberty?”

“I…” Yukina’s mouth opened to continue, but stubborn as she was, shut it and looked away, the classic reaction Lisa knew far too well. “Haven’t.”

Face falling into a strange mix of discontent and mischief, Lisa lunged at Yukina’s arm, trying to lean as far as she could every which way to get even a glimpse of her face. Each time was met with an avalanche of periwinkle hair.

“Yukinaa~! Tell me!”

The walk home was noisy, and the only moment Lisa finally gave up was during their parting. However, after quickly changing into her pajamas and climbing over the mountains of luggage sitting around, she leaned over the balcony when she saw a clear view of Yukina’s bedroom light. She tapped on the glass, waiting for Yukina’s silhouette to get closer before yelling,

“I’ll be over in the morning to help you finish! Good night!”

A muffled response, inaudible but the meaning clear enough that Lisa knew what she heard satisfied her, and she jumped into bed with a grin on her face.  


* * *

At 5:17am, just as the sun began to shine through the blinds and the warmth of her blankets was at its peak, a sudden weight rattled Misaki enough that she woke up with a deep gasp, reaching out to grab whatever was crushing her stomach.

“Oh!”

Only to feel the squish of one Tsurumaki Kokoro’s stomach. It was warm, much like her blanket, and the temptation to slide under the covers and go back to sleep was tempting enough Misaki began feeling her world go black again. But just as she did, a cold hand, climbing into her blankets from below grabbed hold of her thigh, effectively launching her into the air from the sudden chilly sensation.

_ What is this H-manga situation?! _

“Good morning, Kaoru!” Kokoro chirp from her spot on Misaki’s lap. Her vision cleared, and Misaki suddenly realized the room bathed in blue wasn’t her own, and the bed was far larger than she remembered the one in her room being.  


_ Ahh, yeah. She asked us to stay over, huh. _

A laugh, recited and meant to sound composed but coming out soaked with sleep flew up from the floor where Kaoru was rising from her own mess of blankets. “Good morning, Kokoro, Misaki. I see you two have slept well.”

“Oh, morning Kaoru-san. I guess so… a-anyway, Kokoro, get off me, please?” It felt like hours before Kokoro finally slid off her lap and back under the covers, and then over the edge where she peered at a sleeping Hagumi. Kanon was sure to be somewhere in front of the bed then. For a moment Misaki blanked, having forgotten why everyone of Hello Happy were gathered at Kokoro’s house before Kaoru stood, brushing off lint that stuck to her pajamas.  


“Though I’m one to prefer catching a full night’s rest, I do think it’s best to prepare before the rest of the bands arrive. Kokoro, you did tell them to arrive early did you not?”

“Oh shoot, that’s right. Ahh, what a pain…”

Misaki wasn’t one who exactly liked leaving her comfort zone. It was one thing to travel somewhere far like Kyoto, or Osaka for school trips, but she couldn’t imagine actually doing well in a place nobody could understand her. Still, Kokoro had been adamant about it, to the point of actually providing for everyone. The least she could do was honor her kindness.  


But as she sat in Kokoro’s living room, ready to fall asleep while they waited on the remaining member of Poppin’Party, all Misaki wanted to do was crawl back into bed and let someone else dance in Michelle’s costume.  


“You’ve got… quite the number of suitcases, Imai-san…”

In the corner, Roselia (who had been the first to show up) were all staring at the bags and luggage spread across the floor - all of them belonging to Lisa. She turned to Sayo like she had just said something unthinkable.

“It’s two weeks, Sayo! You’ve got to have an outfit for each day in case something  _ special _ happens! And I read online that it’s the perfect time of year to visit since it’s so nice out, too~ Ahh, all the outfits I haven’t been able to wear because it’s gotten so cold…”

As she rambled, Misaki took note of how slowly, but surely, Kaoru was in making her way towards Pastel*Palettes, specifically Shirasagi Chisato. She didn’t know all the details, but she vaguely remembered hearing about the newly whipped Seta Kaoru after the culture festival play. All Misaki knew was Kaoru was strangely quiet the moment the band walked in, and hadn’t even commented on the amount of girls she was surrounded with.  


“My, Chisato. It has been a while.”

The bassist looked up from her conversation with Kanon, her smile fading into something Misaki was a little scared to find out. “Ah. Kaoru. Good morning, and yes it has. Have you been well?”

Kaoru nodded, “Indeed.”

_ God, this is awkward… _

The moment the doors burst open and the sound of sneakers squeaking on the floor, Misaki couldn’t be more grateful. Everyone was great on their own, but only Kokoro, who nobody really trusted, could really lead such a large group and actually get things done, much less have the motivation to do so. And so, it was decided the moment Random Star was held high with Kasumi, wearing a smile so bright it was almost blinding despite the bags under her eyes, that she would be their leader on this sudden trip.  


“I’m so excited, I couldn’t even sleep! I practiced our song all night and I’m so ready to just start performing!!”

Arisa visibly cringed and hurried to the front of the group where she stood, looking at them with the most annoyed expressions. Ever since she knew it was okay, Arisa slowly chipped away her nervousness at showing her true colors in front of people who weren’t in Poppin’Party, and was much more comfortable being herself.  


“Let’s hurry up and go before she crashes! If she falls asleep now she’ll never wake up to even board the plane!”

The sound of shuffling was unbearable as everyone began to pick up their bags, roll their suitcases through the door and into one of many black vans already waiting outside for them. Misaki let out a deep sigh and hurled the bag carrying Michelle’s suit over her back, grunting from the weight. It wasn’t heavy, but at 7am she wasn’t in the best condition.  


“Come on, Misaki! Isn’t this going to be so much fun?!”

Kokoro pulled at her arm, seeing as she was the last in line. It wasn’t unwanted, but Misaki didn’t want to risk tripping and ruining her costume. They had spent a few hours the previous night fixing up their new outfits, and to have hers be ruined would really damp on her band’s parade. “H-hold on, Kokoro,” she said, stopping in her tracks. “We’ve got time. Just… slow down, okay?”

The silence that followed was a little awkward, but Kokoro did as she asked and slowed down, walking down the driveway with her at a comfortable pace. It was nice to finally have some alone time with Kokoro that didn’t involve chasing her around.

“I can’t wait for you to see the airplane my family provided,” Kokoro suddenly said, immediately making Misaki trip and fall right on her face the moment they reached the car.  


_ Ah, yeah. Of course. Of course they would. _


	2. Flying High

The hum of the van was low, almost nonexistent it was hard to think they were even moving. Kokoro was even wandering around, getting drinks and socializing with whoever she found had nothing to do. Much like the car she and Hina took stargazing, it was equipped with a full kitchenette and sink, a mini fridge and a television. There was also a clearly labelled shelf with alcohol for adults, but it had a lock on it preventing the Tsurumaki heir from grabbing any.

_ At least they’re responsible... _

Misaki closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat, the cushions completely giving out to let her sink into it. It warmed up with the press of a button, and with a deep sigh to let out all the tension in her muscles, she could feel the grip of sleep tightening its hold on her. The slight shake as they turned and continued down whatever road they were on was a little comforting, like gently jostling a baby to sleep.

“Say, Kokoro,” Kaoru called from her seat. She sounded like she was also falling asleep, but the strum of her guitar said otherwise. It was quiet and muffled but just sharp enough to be heard over everything. Misaki heard their singer hum, busy playing cards with Hagumi while Kanon watched in anticipation. “Forgive me for asking, but have you travelled to this city before?”

“Nope!”

The quick answer wasn’t followed up with anything more, Kokoro switching her attention back to her card game. Kanon looked up from the table and leaned back to exchange a look with Kaoru, who seemed to accept the answer and continued her strumming.

“U-um… Kokoro-chan… but you were so confident about travelling, weren’t you…?” Kanon asked nervously, scooting back just a little when platinum blonde hair whipped her way. Yellow eyes, bright and shiny as usual, simply glittered.   


“That’s what makes it fun! I’ve been to America, but never New York! Ooh this is so exciting!!”

Misaki shuffled in her seat, eyebrows furrowing from the noise. She was tempted to drag Michelle’s head from its suitcase and put it on to act as earplugs. “Yeah, yeah… we get it. Settle down..” her sentence was cut off by a yawn. “Just… wake me up when we get there.”

“We’re here!” the driver yelled, not less than ten seconds later. Misaki groaned, but slowly rose from her seat. Hello Happy World had been practicing and rehearsing their stage presence almost every day for the past week, but Misaki was tasked with lyrics and composition on top of it all, leaving her exhausted. It hadn’t hit her until she finally got a chance to sit down in a comfy chair.   


Kokoro nearly leapt out of the van when the door slid open on its own, running towards the gate where a man in a black suit was waiting for them all, grey hair neatly slicked back like a traditional butler. Four other vans slowly rolled in, and the women in suits hurried to unload all the luggage and instruments from their trunks while the girls climbed out. The screech of a ground support truck followed not soon after, and they all watched in fear as their bags were neatly stacked on the cart and hauled away with no time to spare for questions.

It wasn’t the usual Haneda or Narita airport like they all expected. Because of course it wasn’t. Instead, they stood at a giant runway with the kanji for Tsurumaki on the large gated entrance - and Kokoro waved at the man waiting for them, completely casual about the whole thing.

“Good morning, Kokoro-sama, everyone,” he said with a low bow. “Please wait just a few minutes while we taxi in the plane and load your luggage.”

The girls took a moment to relax, and Lisa stretched. It hadn’t been the  _ longest _ car ride, but the luxury of it all had her stiff in her seat, scared to even touch anything in case a bill her parents couldn’t afford was sent to her house. Ako had gone wild with the amenities, indulging in all the candy in the mini fridge until she could barely move.

“This is so cool! I can’t believe this is actually happening!!” the youngest of all the members yelled, fingers firmly grasping the chain link fence. Tomoe, from some twenty feet, could be heard yelling something, but Ako ignored it and joined the butler at the gate, trying to peek through to get a clearer view of the runway.   


“Ako-chan… you’re going to… get a stomach ache if you keep moving around…” Rinko’s shy words were completely shrouded by the sound of jet engines coming closer. The wind, which had been pretty breezy and calm suddenly increased in strength.

It was, safe to say, the largest thing they had ever seen. Bigger than a plane for 25 girls needed to be - or even an international flight of 300. It reminded Kanon of the cruise ship, but comically larger and way more deafening. She covered her ears as the sound of the engine became unbearable.   


“Why are the Tsurumaki so extra?!” Lisa yelled. Yukina looked at her in confusion.

“What?!”

“I said,” Lisa took a deep breath. “ _ Why are the Tsurumaki so extra _ ?!”

Yukina shook her head, leaning in even closer as the wind whipped at their hair. “I can’t hear you!”

“What?!” Lisa yelled, their cheeks nearly touching. She could feel the bridge of her nose getting hot and pulled away, shaking her head in defeat. “Nevermind!”

“What?!”

The butler hurried to usher them onto the stairs the black suits prepared for them, and they hurried in to get away from the noise. Kasumi, last in line, jumped up the steps three at a time, throwing her fist into the air once she reached the top. Looking down at the runway, then into the horizon where she could see a speck of the city they had just left, took in a deep breath.   


“Here we go-!!”

* * *

“I feel like my brain is melting,” Ran murmured as they shuffled inside, coming to a stop when her vision finally cleared. Like any traditional plane (because the Tsurumaki couldn’t just ignore basic infrastructure) there were seats lined up, restrooms, screens for movies…

Except all maximized, to their fullest. The entire thing was pretty much just as first class and luxurious as the cars were, and with her ears ringing, Ran suddenly moved aside to try and take it in. There were different cabins and curtains to separate them, but with one look through the thick curtains as Arisa was dragged to the front with Kasumi, they were no different. There were, however, only a few seats per cabin area - it explained why the plane was so huge at least.

“Ran~” Moca called from one of the seats, beckoning her over. Each seat was encased in its own box, but with the maximum amount of legroom it was almost ridiculous. Buttons for calling over a stewardess, a remote for their own entertainment, headphones and slippers… Ran almost didn’t want to touch any of it.

She glanced to Moca, who was already unpacking her slippers and pillow from underneath the seat, headphones hanging around her neck. “You have no problem getting used to this, huh?” Ran asked, holding up the pajamas that came in the compartment under the TV.   


“I don’t see why not~” Moca answered, stretching her arms with a smirk. “They did invite us after all. Just relax, relax, and enjoy being rich~”

“Easier said than done…” Ran sighed and stood to let her backpack rest in the space not taken up by her legs. “By the way, Moca.”

“Hnn?” Moca was almost completely ready for bed with the way she slipped on the complimentary eye mask. Ran found it sort of cute in a way - like watching a little kid trying out new gadgets. “What is it?”

She hummed and looked up at the brightly lit ceiling, watching as they slowly went from red to purple, blue and green, then back to white. “Do you think we’ll do okay? At the event, I mean.”

There was only silence for a bit, and Ran figured Moca had actually fallen asleep when she heard that familiar hum.   


“I think Ran is a little too worried~ Don’t worry, Moca-chan will make sure everything is just fi~ne,” Moca said, standing from her seat. They probably wouldn’t take off for a while, but Ran didn’t feel like moving around all that much. “I’m gonna see where Hii-chan and Tomo-chin ran off to, leaving us all alone like this~”

“I’ll stay here, my head’s still spinning.”

“Okay~”

_ “Will you cut it out?! I’m sure these are reserved, Kasumi!” _

Arisa’s hushed, but not so hushed voice met Moca’s ears when she appeared through the curtains. Sure enough, Kasumi and Arisa were in the frontmost cabin, with the largest seats in the house at their disposal. She was tempted to head back and drag Ran from her seat, but upon meeting Arisa’s gaze figured it would be a little too noisy for her liking.   


“O-oh! Aoba-san… ho-how do you do…?” was her shaky greeting. Moca opted to just wave, smoothly sailing by the two.   


“Don’t mind old Moca-chan,” she said with a quick wiggle of her eyebrows. Arisa’s sputtering had her giggling quietly, and she slipped through what she thought was the final set of curtains before entering the cockpit, but what she found were pods on either side of the room with a complete door and bed. Kokoro’s hair was sticking out of one, with the low grumble of Misaki’s voice trailing after every excited word coming out of the heiress’ mouth.

“You can sleep here, it’s okay!” Kokoro said, not noticing how Moca was sneaking up behind her. “It’s much more comfy and it’ll make you feel a lot happier when you wake up!”

Misaki sighed, the fatigue in her breath nearly visible from how exhausted she sounded. “Alright, alright. Just… wake me up in a few, okay…?”

“Gotcha!” Moca finally made her move, pouncing on Kokoro’s back and resting her chin on the girl’s shoulder, peering into the little room Misaki was shoved in. The other pods had chairs she assumed transformed into full beds, and all the amenities available to everyone else save for a bigger television. The whole plane was like a mini hotel.   


“Moca! Have you found your seat yet?” Kokoro asked, pushing a button that shut Misaki off from the rest of the world. They didn’t hear her move or say anything, which meant she must have been asleep. “We’ve gotta hurry! Choose any seat you want!”

“Moca-chan is actually in search of the bathroom~”

“Bathrooms are here!” Kokoro pointed to the center of each side of the room where the curtains were. “You can shower in them too! We have one in each section.”

Somehow, with how excited Kokoro was to basically guide Moca on where everything was including the snack bar, made her cuter in Moca’s eyes. Like she was excited to finally show off all this stuff to her new friends.   


“Thank yooou~” she said, draping herself over Kokoro’s shoulders once the bathroom was free. Within seconds she was dashing off to help Kasumi turn on the massage function of her seat.   


Thirty minutes later, with everyone situated and ready, their pilot announced their take off.   


“I would have guessed you’d sit with your band,” one Chisato remarked casually as she flipped through a fairly thick catalogue of clothing available to order during the flight. Beside her and leaning against her pillow, Kaoru’s nearly purple face turned to her, shaky red eyes answering the unasked question. “Still afraid of heights I see, Kaoru.”

“Aye,” Kaoru managed to get out. The plane had barely started to move and they weren’t in the air yet, but Kaoru looked like she was about to faint. Chisato remembered Misaki being hauled to the front where Kokoro boasted had the softest of beds.   


“I will be fine once I find myself some water. As the great Shakespeare once said, “He who fears being conquered is sure of defeat”...” despite reciting another wrong quote, her face still managed to turn navy as they accelerated, ready to take off.   


Chisato took a moment to glance at Kaoru who kept her usual expression of indifference, this time the bluish tint of her skin going nearly black with a mixture of fear and sickness. She wanted to sigh, but ignored it and placed the headphones on her ears, ready to listen to music and dive headfirst into a novel.

* * *

For the first few hours, things were relatively silent as everyone interacted with the near unlimited entertainment on their monitors, immersing themselves in movies and games. Then, as everyone took Roselia’s lead on dimming the windows and completely shrouding the plane in darkness, sleep pulled at their eyelids and majority of the girls were fast asleep.

Lisa wrapped herself in a blanket, covered her eyes and was asleep within minutes, while it took Yukina a little longer to get comfortable before she too was knocked out. The few stewardesses on board let them know it was okay to wander the plane as it settled, and it didn’t take long before Ako and Moca were rushing to the small snack stands that were hidden in the back.

Sayo, however, couldn’t find a comfortable position to fully fall asleep. The brightness of her reading light felt more like a nuisance to the rest of the sleeping band so she opted to shut it off and put her book back into her bag. It was still safe to walk around, as Ako had yet to return after scampering off to collect snacks.   


“I guess a walk wouldn’t hurt,” she whispered, unbuckling her seatbelt and stretching her body with a small yawn.   


Colorful lights above the windows softly lit the dark cabin with hues of red and blue, yellow and green, and Sayo could feel the soft carpet under her slippers as she walked, conforming around her feet. It felt like she was walking through a luxury yacht. She figured if she was up, she’d find one of the many restrooms on board.

“Ah!”

“Oh.”

She looked down as she slipped through the curtain to find one shocked Tsugumi, holding a few boxes of what looked like milk in her arms. “Sorry!” she whispered, quickly hurrying out of Sayo’s way with a nervous look on her face.   


Sayo furrowed her eyebrows. She wasn’t _ that  _ scary, was she? “Hazawa-san,” she blurted, biting the inside of her cheek as she had absolutely no follow up. In a panic, she looked around for something to say while Tsugumi tilted her head, then tried to balance the many drinks in her hand as they hit another wave of turbulence. “Would you like some help?”

“Huh!?” Tsugumi cringed at her loud outburst, looking behind her to make sure nobody heard her. Luckily, the roaring engine managed to cover it up. She looked down at the boxes in her arms, safely nestled where they wouldn’t fall out. But the opportunity being handed to her was far too tempting.   


Sayo cocked her head and raised an eyebrow. “Hazawa-san?”

“Sure!” she answered quickly, cheeks flushed red. “I’d love that.”

Quietly, she handed a few of the drinks to Sayo then turned to lead her towards the rest of her bandmates. Sayo took a glance at Hina, who had somehow made her way into Aya’s seat and was face-first in the poor girl’s shoulder, playing cards spilled all over her tray. They exchanged a few looks before Sayo slipped through the next curtain in the far end where Afterglow seemed to be waiting.   


“Sayo-san! Hey,” Tomoe greeted, lifting her headphones off her head. They seemed to be the only group who hadn’t completely passed out, with the exception of Ran. “What brings you here?”

Flushing, and grateful the darkness helped conceal it, Sayo lifted the four boxes in her hands. “I bumped into Hazawa-san and offered to assist her in bringing these.”

“Sweet, thanks for helping her out. Tsugu!” Tomoe raised a hand to get Tsugumi’s attention as she handed Himari a few of the strawberry milk cartons she had. “Hand me one of the almond ones.”

“Sure!” Tsugumi hurried to give Moca the ones she requested, then scurried over to Tomoe’s side. She slowly took one off of Sayo’s arm and a chocolate one from hers, gently setting them down in front of the drummer.

“Thanks!”

Sayo blinked, feeling a little useless as Tsugumi was the one running around giving everyone what they needed before the weight in her arms felt considerably lighter.   


“Thanks for helping, Sayo-san. Here! This one is my favorite.”

Tsugumi handed her a brown carton which read “malt coffee” on the front. Sayo wanted to let out a small laugh, but managed to keep it in with a smile.   


“Thank you. I’m sure I will like it.”

Shyly, Tsugumi nodded and let Sayo turn and leave Afterglow’s section. But not even two steps later she could hear the whooping coming from Himari and Tomoe, causing her to hurry back to her seat and at least pretend she was asleep.   


* * *

Chisato looked up from her book, reading glasses sliding down her face as she peered at the sleeping figure next to her. Kaoru was facing her with her arms crossed, head rocking back and forth as she tried to find a comfortable spot for her neck. The pillow used to prop her up was at her feet, and her blanket was slowly starting to join it the longer Kaoru continued to fidget. A habit she remembered from their childhood.   


_ Still the same as ever, I see. _

Shutting her book, as Chisato realized she was on the same page she was twenty minutes ago, she set it aside and rose from her seat, ignoring the various pops in her back and legs. She reached for the pillow and gently laid Kaoru’s head on it again, then covered her with the thick blanket to combat the rapidly dropping temperature.

Chisato looked down at Kaoru’s sleeping face, her hand on her shoulder and the fact that she was pretty much leaning as far down as possible to tuck her in. Anyone wandering by would likely see the scene in a completely different light.   


“Does she need more water?” came Aya’s worried voice. Kaoru’s airsickness slowly made its presence known when she threw up as soon as they took off, though luckily she took advantage of the paper bag available in every seat. The band surrounding her made quick use of the stewardesses, who guided her to the restroom to finish her business.

Chisato shook her head, looking down at Kaoru. She was breathing evenly, but would occasionally burst into shudders when the plane began to shake again. It was like watching over a child. “She’ll be fine, we’ll let her just sleep for now.”

Aya’s pink eyes held something similar to hesitation, but she slipped back into her game when Hina’s whining got too loud for the sleeping Maya and Eve.   


Sighing, Chisato settled back into her seat and leaned as far back as she could so she wouldn’t have to be in Kaoru’s line of sight in case she woke up.   


Closing her eyes, she decided to sleep instead, the perfect way to avoid it all.

* * *

By the time most of them had their eyes open and life was beginning to settle back into the airplane, their spot on the map that was previously at the edge of Japan was now all the way across to the edge of the United States. The ocean was just as large as it was blue, but what caught their eyes was the sight of the famous New York City skyline. Buildings reflected the morning sun’s rays, shrouding them in mystery and shadows, and they could see the faint white boats sailing around the coast.   


Eventually, the light to keep their seatbelts on lit up and the pilot announced their arrival to the Big Apple, raising loud cheers and excited chatter amongst the passengers.   


Arisa gulped, not wanting to press her face against her window like the others, but couldn’t help looking down herself as they soared above a sea of cars and traffic like they’d never seen before. “Oh… oh wow…”

“Look at all the cars!!” Kasumi screamed into her ear. Arisa cringed, but didn’t say anything - far too overwhelmed herself. Japan had cars, sure, but not like this. Advertisements, large and brightly lit even in the daytime, rivaled the sun in their intensity. Arisa recognized some of the brands being shown, but otherwise the words and text flew right over her head.

“Wow, the Statue of Liberty…! Think we can take a tour and go inside?!” Himari yelled from her corner, pressing her hands against the window. 

“Oh, oh! Isn’t this the place to get the best fashion too?! I wanna go shopping!”

“Ahaha… it might be out of our price range though,” Tsugumi answered, calmly resting her arms on the blanket in her lap as she watched the scenery change every second.

“Misaki! Misaki!” Kokoro, completely ignoring the warning and the increased turbulence to run through the cabin, threw open the sleeping pod which held a knocked out Misaki. Opening her eyes, Misaki nearly shouted in surprise at the sight of Kokoro standing right above her. “We’re here! Can you believe it?! Mnnn I can’t wait!”

“Kokoro, go back to your seat!” Misaki yelled. She was still in sleep mode, but all she could focus on were the multiple alarms screaming in her head. Groaning, she got to her feet and pulled Kokoro in with her as soon as she could feel the plane tilting to finally hit the runway.   


Much more sluggish than they came in, everyone slipped out of their seats and grabbed their backpacks, lined up as soon as the door swung open, and hopped out under the bright blue sky of the United States.   


“We made it!” Kokoro shouted, jumping out of the door of the airplane and running up the ramp where the suits, visibly exhausted and unkempt, were waiting. “I can’t wait to see everything!”

Trailing behind her, and with a big yawn, Misaki hummed. “Yeah, yeah. But you’ll probably get hit with jet lag at some point so try not to overdo it, huh?”

As soon as the final girl was in sight, the suits led them through the airport, all of them trying to shrink as the stares of hundreds followed every step. Arisa had to wonder if they looked ridiculous to the people watching them.

“This kinda feels like we’re celebrities,” Tae whispered, looking more and more starstruck with every passing glance.

After suffering through the hell that was customs and finally making it to the outside of the airport, they all made it outside where it was taxi central. Yellow, white, black… they didn’t see a single normal looking car besides the ones with an odd U-shaped sticker on them. That is, until they saw large silver shuttles with the kanji for Tsurumaki began to pull in.   


“We will be leading you toward the hotel of Tsurumaki-sama’s choice. Please hop into one of the vehicles and we will be on our way shortly,” the black suit with the ponytail said.   


“What do you think the place is gonna look like, Onee-chan?!”

Sayo shrugged, the act making her shoulders hurt after the long flight. “If it happens to be Tsurumaki-san’s recommendation… though I suppose that depends on  _ which _ Tsurumaki-san they mean.”

With that thought in mind, they hurried into the shuttles with all kinds of expectations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried not to make SayoTsugu too focused but I'm trash and can't help it.

**Author's Note:**

> I feel very burnt out on the usual stuff I've been working on, and I really wanted to try something a little different, a little more silly and less *planned out*. This is actually something I've been dying to write since last year, and I figured now's the time to put the desire to use.


End file.
